EMPiRE - The EMPiRE Strike Start!! Album Thoughts(J-pop)

• Tracklist
  
  • A-SiDE
    1. FOR EXAMPLE??
    2. Buttocks beat! beat!
    3. Black to the dreamlight
    4. MAD LOVE
    5. Don’t tell me why
    6. TOKYO MOONLiGHT
  • B-SiDE
    1. EMPiRE is COMiNG
    2. Dead Buddy (デッドバディ)
    3. LiTTLE BOY
    4. Kono Sekai no Katasumi de (コノ世界ノ片隅デ)
    5. Akarui Mirai (アカルイミライ)

  I've been watching these girls little by little since the latter part of last year when teaser photos of EMPiRE were released, I'm not a dedicated enough of a fan to watch any type of idol group(Kpop included.) very closely so I didn't take part in the unveiling of the members faces. The girls's label called Wack, stated that they would release the face shots of each girl if their personal profiles each gained ten thousand followers on Twitter. Only one member ended up getting to the set goal but that didn't stop Wack from promoting the soon to debut group in different ways. These ways included having the producer of EMPiRE's music sing the girls's supposed first single by himself(Which is actually a good song.). EMPiRE released their first album called" The EMPiRE Strike Start!!!" This month and the album debuted in the top ten on the Oricon chart at number seven. A pretty good chart position for a new group.

   EMPiRE is basically the little sister group to Wack's other well known groups, Bis and Bish. They are anti idols while also not completely giving into this idea in their music. It would have been very easy for Wack to release another group that sounded just like the first to groups. Empire Strike Start!!! creates a whole new lane for the girls that's new to them but familiar to Japanese music. The tracks on the album showcase a mixture of EDI dance fusion mixed with rock. Some of the tracks are just pop which is perfect for the new idol group. Yes, they are considered anti idols: An idol that is the opposite of an idol that's pure or not dirty but EMPiRE stays very real to revealing the idea that an  anti idol is still an idol at the end of the day. A crude person can still have a fun easygoing side to their personality without giving up who they are at their core. EMPiRE's music is like the symbolism of this to me. Much of the album is upbeat club numbers for all those Japanese listeners who want a reason to move as they wait in the subway station for their train to arrive. The equal fusion of the band instrumental along with the studio production of the beat gives the tracks a dark feel while also sounding very mainstream. The girls also channel Bish in tracks such as Buttock Beat! Beat! and Little Boy(My favorite track on the album) by using a hard rock style. Wack created an idol group that learning to play both sides of the fields. They can be dark and different or mainstream idol pop.

   What makes me really love Wack groups isn't just the disturbing visuals that they give their groups but also the fact that they always have at least one girl in each group that can sing well. Normally its the leader of the group that has the best voice.(Think a group like Arashi where Ohno is the best vocalist followed by Nino in close second.) EMPiRE has one squeaky voiced girl but there's also a girl that has a mature voice who can actually sing. She sings just as loud as Bish's leader and I'm here for it.

  EMPiRE is as good as Bish in my opinion. Both groups sound nothing alike but I can see Wack making serious money off of all their groups in the future. The label has seen a huge increase in sales because I believe his anti idol idea is starting to resonate with the masses in Japan. It's good music so I give all of them props.